Fluids such as oil in machinery, vehicles, ship engines, and the like are often analyzed in an attempt to ascertain information about the condition of the oil and/or the equipment which uses the oil. A tribology laboratory may include an infrared spectrometer for analyzing contaminants (water, for example) present in the oil and the like, a viscometer for measuring the viscosity of the oil, and/or devices which analyze and/or classify particles in the oil. See the brochure “Spectro Industrial Tribology Laboratory (ITL)”, www.spectroinc.com, incorporated herein by this reference.
Each instrument typically provides some information about the oil sample and a skilled technician and/or scientist then uses all the information to make a full analysis of the oil sample and to perhaps make a recommendation based on the analysis.
Laboratories, however, take time to report the results of the analysis. Lab equipment is also fairly expensive and complex. Also, less skilled employees cannot typically operate the laboratory equipment, fully understand or appreciate the information provided by the equipment, or make proper recommendations.
Portable tribology devices are also known such as the “FluidScan” IR spectrometer product available from Spectro, Inc. See also US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0182599 incorporated herein by this reference. Some portable devices are fairly easy to use.
To date, however, known portable devices have not replicated the analysis capability of a tribology laboratory.